For years, spectators at Wimbledon weren’t just watching tennis — they were also catching glimpses of some of the best-dressed officials in sports.
Dressed in Ralph Lauren navy blazers, white trousers or skirts, and sharp blue-striped shirts, the line judges were as iconic to Wimbledon as strawberries and cream.
But this year, the legendary tournament opens its gates to a new kind of presence — not in dapper blazers, but in blinking lights and synthetic voices.
Hello AI, Goodbye Human Judges
Wimbledon is officially stepping into the AI era.
Starting this season, those familiar line judges — or line umpires, as they’re formally known — have been completely replaced by an automated electronic line-calling (ELC) system.
After 147 years of human judgment determining whether a ball was in or out, that responsibility now lies with computers.
No more dramatic player challenges.
No more crowd gasps. Just a swift, computerized “Out” announced over the speaker — and that’s that.
Losing the Heart and Drama of the Game?
Some former officials feel this shift might take the soul out of the sport.
Ivan Milatović, a former line judge of 10 years, doesn’t hide his disappointment.
“It’s going to be more efficient, sure,” he says.
“But it’s going to feel flat. Less thrilling. Less human.”
He even jokes about how Ralph Lauren might miss the line judges more than the tournament will.
“We were like stylish billboards for them!”
The Decision That Changed Everything
The official announcement came last October.
Sally Bolton, Wimbledon’s CEO, said it was time to move forward — pointing out that the Australian Open and US Open had already made the switch.
While it didn’t shock the officiating community, it certainly stung.
Rob Hodge, who officiated 13 times at Wimbledon, including last year’s men’s final, recalls feeling more let down than surprised.
“We knew it was coming,” he says.
“But that didn’t make it easier.”
A Slow March Toward Inevitability
Malgorzata Grzyb, head of the Association of British Tennis Officials (ABTO), remembers hoping for one more year, then another, to keep the tradition alive.
But with more global tournaments adopting ELC, the handwriting was on the wall.
Developed by Hawk-Eye — the same company behind the popular challenge system — this newer version, known as Hawk-Eye Live, uses 18 cameras to track every ball.
The system processes everything in real time and blurts out calls like “fault” or “out” within a split second.
Real Voices, But Still Robotic
To keep things from sounding too mechanical, Wimbledon’s calls will use pre-recorded voices of staff members, like tour guides.
Each court will feature a single consistent voice, but the voices will vary across courts to avoid confusion.
This design comes after some awkward mix-ups at other tournaments — including one where a player mistook a call from a nearby court as her own and lost the point.
Players Appreciate the Consistency
Despite the nostalgia, most players seem to be on board with the switch.
“There are no arguments,” says Milatović.
“No rhythm breaks. No heated discussions with umpires. It’s clean and quick.”
And perhaps that’s why, for the players at least, the change is less controversial.
It eliminates the tension and drama of challenging a call — which some say is part of the sport’s magic.
Life After the Line: A Difficult Transition
Roughly 300 line judges used to work each Wimbledon, earning up to £200 a day — but it wasn’t about the paycheck.
For many, it was about being part of something special.
Hodge vividly recalls his first time stepping onto Centre Court.
“I couldn’t believe I was there,” he says.
“I was so nervous, but it was magical. Sure, I made some big mistakes, but hey, if you’re going to mess up, do it with flair!”
Now, some of those judges, including Hodge and Milatović, have stepped away entirely, while others have taken on limited “match assistant” roles.
These involve helping with ball changes or escorting players during breaks — tasks far removed from the intensity of officiating.
A Job That Was More Than Just a Job
Milatović has tried the new match assistant role, but he finds it underwhelming.
“It’s not officiating,” he says bluntly.
“When you’re a line judge, you’re in a hyper-focused zone. It’s mentally intense, but also rewarding.”
Wimbledon keeps a small number of match assistants on hand — mostly as backup in case the tech fails.
But failure is rare, and the role feels like a shadow of what it once was.
A Ripple Effect Across the Sport
Beyond Wimbledon, there are growing concerns about how this shift will impact the rest of British tennis.
Smaller tournaments don’t use ELC, and now, with Wimbledon no longer offering the dream gig at the end of the road, some are wondering — why bother?
“Wimbledon was the incentive,” Hodge admits.
“It kept us going through the lower-level events. Without it, there’s less motivation.”
Milatović agrees. He recently worked at the Nottingham Open and says it’s becoming harder to recruit officials.
“We keep getting emails asking who’s available. Fewer people are signing up.”
New Paths for the Next Generation
Grzyb, though, remains hopeful.
She points out that plenty of countries without Grand Slams still find ways to train good officials.
In fact, her team has started speeding up the path to becoming a chair umpire by combining the training with line umpiring.
Before, officials would first qualify as line judges, then move up the ranks.
Now, they can do both at once, in anticipation of fewer line judging roles in the future.
Could Chair Umpires Be Next?
Still, the bigger worry looms ahead: will the chair umpire be the next to go?
Milatović thinks so.
“With tech moving this fast, I wouldn’t be surprised if we have no chair umpires in 5 to 10 years.
If players aren’t misbehaving and there are no contested calls, what are umpires really there to do?”
It’s a chilling thought — especially coming from someone who spent years holding the line.
What’s Next for the Spirit of the Game?
As tradition bows to technology, fans are left wondering what else might change.
No more iconic line judge gestures. No more human error, human emotion, or the tension of waiting for a challenge.
The AI may get the calls right — but can it ever capture the human spirit of the game?
Wimbledon, once a haven of classic sportsmanship, is moving forward.
But many of the people who made the tournament what it was will be watching from the sidelines, pressed blazers tucked away, memories in hand.
And to borrow a legendary line: “You cannot be serious!” — but sadly, Wimbledon is.